Foreign assistance programs are under unprecedented pressure due to world events, including humanitarian crises, immigration and refugees, insecure environments and demographic shifts. At the same time, US foreign assistance is increasingly challenged by skepticism about the role of foreign aid, an uncertain foreign policy environment, and differing attitudes towards foreign aid in Congress and the White House. The US is out of sync with the rest of the international community in areas such as climate change, family planning and reproductive health, and bilateralism vs. multilateralism. Mr. Warren will illustrate and discuss the implications of these trends. He will also discuss the growing role of the private sector in international development.

Wade Warren is the Chief Strategy Officer for International Development at Deloitte Consulting. In this role, he leads strategic insight, provides thought leadership, and brings innovative technology solutions to U.S. foreign assistance and international development clients. A globally recognized leader in international development, he previously served as the Acting Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. With 12,000 people and more than $25 billion in annual funding, USAID is the world’s largest bilateral aid agency. During 27 years with USAID, Warren served in a broad range of senior management positions in the Bureaus for Policy, Planning and Learning, Global Health, and Africa. Additionally, he was the Acting Chief Operating Officer of the State Department’s Office of the Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance. Warren also served at USAID’s Missions in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Warren received his undergraduate degree in history from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 1981 and his graduate degree in international business from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in 1990. Throughout the 1980s, he worked as an analyst and speechwriter in the U.S. House of Representatives.